What a Healthy Diet to Lower Cholesterol Looks Like

“What you eat has a big influence on your cardiovascular health,” says Robert Segal, MD, Cardiologist at Manhattan Cardiology in New York City.

If your cholesterol is only slightly elevated, your doctor may recommend lifestyle changes to lower your cholesterol naturally. This may include eating a heart-healthy diet.

But even if your cardiologist prescribes cholesterol-lowering medications, a healthy diet still plays an important role in treatment. Eating a healthy diet to lower cholesterol may improve your treatment outcomes, and it may also help reduce your risk of other related conditions, like Type 2 diabetes.

What foods should you limit to lower cholesterol?

When eating a heart-healthy diet, it’s not necessarily cholesterol in foods that you should be checking. Dietary cholesterol doesn’t affect blood cholesterol as much as was once thought. 

Instead, saturated fat seems to have the biggest impact on cholesterol, particularly LDL (low-density lipoprotein) cholesterol. “If your LDL [cholesterol] starts to increase, you [may] put yourself at risk for plaque buildup in the arteries, which increases your risk of heart attack and stroke,” says Segal.

To improve cholesterol levels, limit your intake of the following foods:

• Foods high in saturated fat, like red meat, dairy, and fried foods

• Foods high in trans fats, such as those that contain partially hydrogenated oil

• Foods with added sugar

• Foods with added sodium

• Ultra-processed foods

• Alcohol

What foods should you include in a heart-healthy diet?

Heart-healthy foods include:

• Fruits and vegetables

• Whole grains

• Nuts and seeds

• Lean protein, including fish and seafood

• Minimally processed foods

• Plant oils, such as olive oil and canola oil, used in moderation

Your care team may refer you to a registered dietitian for help making changes to your diet. They can give you personalized advice based on your preferences, culture, budget, and goals.

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Written by:

Lauren Smith, MA

Lauren Smith, MA, has worked in health journalism since 2017. Before joining GoodRx, she was the senior health editor and writer for HealthiNation.

Reviewed by:

Alexandra Schwarz, MD

Alexandra Schwarz, MD, is a board-eligible sleep medicine physician and a board-certified family medicine physician. She is a member of both the AASM and the ABFM.

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